and now… she’s here. Our khali.
Raniero didn’t look away from her as he spoke. “Caine, call Arawn and tell him to get down here now. Interrupt whatever he’s doing.” His focus slid back to Alina. “How bad is her cut?”
“Not deep.” Ashina followed his gaze. “I removed a splinter and some dirt. It’s healing a bit slowly, though.” She stood and examined the wound again, where a thin line of fresh blood welled in the center. “She may need stitches. Sonja, prepare a suture kit.”
Behind them, Caine dialed his phone and spoke in quick choppy sentences. He ended the call. “What’s going on here? She was picking pockets at Hell’s Gate, then got knocked out. I bring her here, and you two are saying she’s your granddaughter?”
Raniero looked at Caine and raised an eyebrow. “Picking pockets?”
Caine rubbed the back of his neck. “Among other things.”
Raniero walked to Caine, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You can explain in the briefing. Wait for Arawn. But know that my mate and I are in your debt.” He turned to look at Alina. “I can’t believe you found her. I can’t believe she’s here.”
The ER’s double doors swung open again, and Arawn strode in like a tornado of dark, contained power. “What the hell is going on? No one has ever needed me down here .” The fierce leader of all the Lash demons didn’t mince words and he was as direct as he was huge. At six foot seven, he’d trained with his Watchers and had the muscles to show he’d bested all of them. “Ashina?”
Ashina inclined her head. “My lord.” She looked up at Raniero, then swung her attention back to Arawn. “Caine has brought us…our granddaughter.”
“Your gran—” Arawn’s jaw dropped and he was at the bedside in a flash. Awareness flashed in his dark eyes. He knew full well who he was looking at. “No fucking way.”
“It’s her,” Ashina said.
“Holy hell.” Arawn turned to Caine. “You. And Raniero, and all the inner circle. In my conference room. Now.”
“Sir?” Caine walked to the foot of the bed. “I brought her in because she was injured on my watch. I still don’t know the significance of—”
“Congratulations, Caine.” Arawn rested his hands on his hips. “You just found the fourth Solsti.”
C HAPTER F IVE
S OLSTI . T HE WORD GHOSTED AROUND the edges of Alina’s mind. But the voice speaking…who was it? Several voices jumbled together in her ears. Male and female. A warm hand brushed her arm, and she jolted to full consciousness with a gasp.
Her eyes flew open, and immediately she squeezed them shut against the glare of light that was way too bright. Her head pounded as if a brick wall was crashing down inside. Forcing her lids open, she turned her head and took in her surroundings. She was in a…hospital? Oh no.
She tried to sit up and encountered several faces she didn’t recognize. Who are these people? Panic rose in her throat. Why am I here? How did I get here?
“Hey.” A deep male voice cut through her wild thoughts and she turned in his direction.
Caine . Thank the gods, a familiar face. He walked to the side of the bed. He looked …awful. Dirty, dusty, and bloody, but concern shone in his eyes.
“How ya feeling? You hit your head pretty hard.” He picked up her hand, enveloping her skin in warmth.
Hit my head? She blinked, and images rushed in a fast-forward reel in her mind. The club, the crowds, the roof—
“Where am I?” Her breath came in short gasps. “I-I need to go.”
“You’re not going anywhere until I fix up that cut,” a woman spoke from the other side of the bed. With her toffee-colored skin, straight dark hair, and green eyes, there was something familiar about her that Alina couldn’t identify.
Alina turned to Caine. “Where’d you bring me?”
“You’re in the medical wing of the Lash Watchers compound. I’m Arawn.” A towering demon rumbled from the end of the table. “I say who comes and
Raniero didn’t look away from her as he spoke. “Caine, call Arawn and tell him to get down here now. Interrupt whatever he’s doing.” His focus slid back to Alina. “How bad is her cut?”
“Not deep.” Ashina followed his gaze. “I removed a splinter and some dirt. It’s healing a bit slowly, though.” She stood and examined the wound again, where a thin line of fresh blood welled in the center. “She may need stitches. Sonja, prepare a suture kit.”
Behind them, Caine dialed his phone and spoke in quick choppy sentences. He ended the call. “What’s going on here? She was picking pockets at Hell’s Gate, then got knocked out. I bring her here, and you two are saying she’s your granddaughter?”
Raniero looked at Caine and raised an eyebrow. “Picking pockets?”
Caine rubbed the back of his neck. “Among other things.”
Raniero walked to Caine, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You can explain in the briefing. Wait for Arawn. But know that my mate and I are in your debt.” He turned to look at Alina. “I can’t believe you found her. I can’t believe she’s here.”
The ER’s double doors swung open again, and Arawn strode in like a tornado of dark, contained power. “What the hell is going on? No one has ever needed me down here .” The fierce leader of all the Lash demons didn’t mince words and he was as direct as he was huge. At six foot seven, he’d trained with his Watchers and had the muscles to show he’d bested all of them. “Ashina?”
Ashina inclined her head. “My lord.” She looked up at Raniero, then swung her attention back to Arawn. “Caine has brought us…our granddaughter.”
“Your gran—” Arawn’s jaw dropped and he was at the bedside in a flash. Awareness flashed in his dark eyes. He knew full well who he was looking at. “No fucking way.”
“It’s her,” Ashina said.
“Holy hell.” Arawn turned to Caine. “You. And Raniero, and all the inner circle. In my conference room. Now.”
“Sir?” Caine walked to the foot of the bed. “I brought her in because she was injured on my watch. I still don’t know the significance of—”
“Congratulations, Caine.” Arawn rested his hands on his hips. “You just found the fourth Solsti.”
C HAPTER F IVE
S OLSTI . T HE WORD GHOSTED AROUND the edges of Alina’s mind. But the voice speaking…who was it? Several voices jumbled together in her ears. Male and female. A warm hand brushed her arm, and she jolted to full consciousness with a gasp.
Her eyes flew open, and immediately she squeezed them shut against the glare of light that was way too bright. Her head pounded as if a brick wall was crashing down inside. Forcing her lids open, she turned her head and took in her surroundings. She was in a…hospital? Oh no.
She tried to sit up and encountered several faces she didn’t recognize. Who are these people? Panic rose in her throat. Why am I here? How did I get here?
“Hey.” A deep male voice cut through her wild thoughts and she turned in his direction.
Caine . Thank the gods, a familiar face. He walked to the side of the bed. He looked …awful. Dirty, dusty, and bloody, but concern shone in his eyes.
“How ya feeling? You hit your head pretty hard.” He picked up her hand, enveloping her skin in warmth.
Hit my head? She blinked, and images rushed in a fast-forward reel in her mind. The club, the crowds, the roof—
“Where am I?” Her breath came in short gasps. “I-I need to go.”
“You’re not going anywhere until I fix up that cut,” a woman spoke from the other side of the bed. With her toffee-colored skin, straight dark hair, and green eyes, there was something familiar about her that Alina couldn’t identify.
Alina turned to Caine. “Where’d you bring me?”
“You’re in the medical wing of the Lash Watchers compound. I’m Arawn.” A towering demon rumbled from the end of the table. “I say who comes and
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